Railway-switch.



W.- R. BBDINGPIELD.

RAILWAY SWITGE,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1913.

Eatemefl F611 E915.

Ll f k THE NORRIS FETERS C0. PHOTO L/THO WASHINGTON, I) (IV WADE R. BEDING-FIELD, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed May 9, 19-13. Serial N 0. 766,655.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WADE R. BEDINGFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to operating mechanism for switches for railways and consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings there is illustrated a satisfactory reduction of my improvement to practice, and in the said drawings: Figure l is a top plan view of the main line and switch line of an ordinary railway having a pivoted switch point provided with the improvement, Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing the arrangement of the throwing mechanism provided upon a car, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of one of the main rails showing the manner in which therods are mounted thereon. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of one of the angle heads. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showingthe relative positions of the rods.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main rails and 2 the switch rails.

The numeral 3 designates the pivoted switch point. The switch point 3 is arranged upon a fiat metallic plate 4, and the said point has its underface provided with 21 depending member or knob 5 which is arranged within a suitable slot or depression 6 in the plate 4.

Arranged upon each of the opposite sides of the main rail 1 to which the switch point 3 is pivotally connected, are longitudinally extending rods 7 and 8 respectively, the said rods being provided with suitable guide supports in the nature of eyes 9. The eyes 9 are disposed to the opposite longitudinal edges of the base flanges of the rails, and secured to the ties for the rails, the base flanges of the rails, or any other suitable support. The rods 7 and 8 have one of their ends provided with contact members 10, and arranged between the bearings 9 nearest the said contact members 10 are helical springs 11 which force the rods in one direction, and

stops 12 are provided for limiting the move Y ment of the rods when influenced by the springs 11. The opposite end of each of the rods is inclined, as at 12, and extended longitudinally in a plane with the rod proper, as at 13, and from thence bent rearwardly at an angle and inwardly to the portion 12 to provide angle heads 14:. These which is mounted in suitable bearings which has its lower extremity or that portion arranged below the car provided with an oflset arm 17, and the end of the arm is formed with a head 18, which, when the rod 16 is lowered, is adapted to contact with one of the contact members 10 of the rods 7 and 8. The rod or shaft 16 is provided with an angular handle 19, which is arranged in close proximity to and adapted to be operated by the motorman of the car. The rod or shaft 16 is normally forced upwardly through the medium of a spring 20, and it will be noted that by exerting a downward pressure upon the member 16 and swinging the same its head will be brought into contact with either of the contact fingers of the rods 7 and 8 to properly direct the car either in its travel upon the main rails or into the switch rails.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,'it will be noted that the switch can be operated without halting the car or causing the motorman or operator of the vehicle from changing his position upon thecar so that the operating mechanism of said car is al ways under the control of the operator.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

A switch operating device comprising a pivoted switch point having secured to its under side an angular depending arm, said arm passing down through a slot in the base plate of the switch and extending inwardly through a slot in the web of the rail, two parallel rods extending in the same plane but arranged on opposite sides of the rail, said rods being provided with heads having inwardly extending projecting portions arranged in the said slot in the web of the rail, the said rods being provided with offset portions near their outer extremities, one of said rods being oifset upwardly and forwardly and the other rod being offset downwardly and forwardly, the said offset portion being arranged so as to permit the heads of the said rod to be arranged one above the other in the slot in the web of the rail, the outer wall of said heads being arranged in a plane with the said rods and terminating in a point, said projecting portions inclining from said point to the lower extremity of the head, the said heads being adapted to engage the depending arm to operate the switch, the other ends of the rods being provided with laterally extending contact members, said members being adapted to engage with means carried by the car to operate the switch, the said rods also being provided with bearings adapted to carry the rods and to act as a stop to a spring carried by the rods, and arranged between the bearings and the contact members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VADE R. BEDINGFIELD.

WVitnesses J. F. NORMAN, H. G. JACKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

